Champaign-Urbana School Systems: How are the schools in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois?
Here in Champaign-Urbana we are fortunate to have many schools, both public and private, and a variety of programs for parents to consider when deciding which school will offer the best fit for their child. In this article I'll provide information on how to find schools ratings, an overview of our local public and private schools, and resources for those considering home-schooling.
School Ratings
"Report cards" showing a public school's complete academic performance ratings can often be found on the school's website, or you can call the public school to request a copy of this report. Otherwise, just visit this site where you can see a detailed synopsis of each public school, and even compare school ratings side-by-side.
Rating information for both public and private schools can be found on sites such as GreatSchools.org and LocalSchoolDirectory.com, as well as others. Also, simply searching for a school on Google can sometimes produce first-hand reviews by parents of children who have attended an individual school.
Public School Systems in Champaign and Urbana
Champaign and Urbana each have their own separate public school system, and in Champaign County the school systems are associated with a district number.
Champaign Unit 4 School District:
If you live in Champaign or Savoy, your children will be able to attend the Champaign Unit 4 School District. At the elementary level, a School of Choice program is offered to allow parents to choose the school that they believe will be the best fit for their child and to promote diversity within those schools. The middle school and high school that your child would subsequently attend would be dependent on where you live. Just contact the school administration to learn more about the schools' zoning boundaries.
Urbana School District 116:
Urbana School District 116 is, of course, the public school system for residents of Urbana. Here the elementary school that your child would attend is completely dependent upon your home address, and a map showing the boundaries can be found on their website. Regardless of the elementary school the child attends, he or she would go on to attend Urbana Middle School and Urbana High School, the only junior high and high schools for this district.
University Laboratory High School:
Another option for 7th through the 12th grade, regardless of where you live, is the University Laboratory High School, also known as "Uni High." This school is unique in that it is a highly selective public school. No tuition is charged, though many private donations are made. Uni High receives funds from the state, rather than from local governments, and, therefore, any child of eligible age in Illinois is welcome to apply. The school is located on the University of Illinois campus and students are allowed to use some of the University's facilities.
Private Schools in Champaign and Urbana
In addition to the public schools, Champaign-Urbana is home to a number of private schools. The following is a list of many of them in alphabetical order with links to their websites:
Calvary Baptist Christian Academy, for grades K-12.
Campus Middle School for Girls, an all girls school founded in 1994.
Canaan Academy, a Christian school located in Urbana.
High School of Saint Thomas More, a Catholic-based high school.
Holy Cross School, a Catholic school located in Champaign serving grades K-8.
Judah Christian School, located in Champaign and serving grades pre-K -12.
Next Generation School, offering pre-K through middle school.
St. John Lutheran School, offering preschool through grade 8.
St. Matthew Catholic School, for grades kindergarten through 8.
Home Schooling in Champaign-Urbana, Illinois
An alternative to public or private schools is home-schooling, and there's a wealth of information to be found on this topic online.
For general information on home-schooling your child in Illinois, you can visit the state's website where you'll find Illinois' home-schooling guidelines along with links to many other resources.
There are also several home-schooling groups in the Champaign-Urbana area that offer support and information for the parents as well as combined activities for the children. Here's a list of several such groups with links to their websites:
CU H.O.U.S.E.: a local, non-sectarian group with loads of resources and information on their website.
Christian Homeschool Connection: another local group connecting homeschoolers of the Christian faith.
Champaign-Urbana Area Homeschoolers: this local group is open to all and connects on Yahoo Groups.
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